diff --git a/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py b/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py
index 8228e31..14e43e1 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py
+++ b/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@ class Dispatcher(object):
     close(), it is possible to create a Dispatcher that distributes
     this work to many worker processes.
     """
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(Dispatcher, self).__init__()
+        
+        # list of (tileset, workitem) tuples
+        # keeps track of dispatched but unfinished jobs
+        self._running_jobs = []
+        # list of (tileset, workitem, dependencies) tuples
+        # keeps track of jobs waiting to run after dependencies finish
+        self._pending_jobs = []
+    
     def render_all(self, tilesetlist, status_callback):
         """Render all of the tilesets in the given
         tilesetlist. status_callback is called periodically to update
@@ -51,12 +61,48 @@ class Dispatcher(object):
                     work_iterators.append(make_work_iterator(tileset, phase))
             
             # go through these iterators round-robin style
-            for tileset, workitem in util.roundrobin(work_iterators):
-                self.dispatch(tileset, workitem)
+            for tileset, (workitem, deps) in util.roundrobin(work_iterators):
+                self._pending_jobs.append((tileset, workitem, deps))
+                self._dispatch_jobs()
             
             # after each phase, wait for the work to finish
+            while len(self._pending_jobs) > 0 or len(self._running_jobs) > 0:
+                self._dispatch_jobs()
             self.finish_work()
     
+    def _dispatch_jobs(self):
+        # helper function to dispatch pending jobs when their
+        # dependencies are met, and to manage self._running_jobs
+        dispatched_jobs = []
+        finished_jobs = []
+        
+        pending_jobs_nodeps = map(lambda j: (j[0], j[1]), self._pending_jobs)
+        
+        for pending_job in self._pending_jobs:
+            tileset, workitem, deps = pending_job
+            
+            # see if any of the deps are in _running_jobs or _pending_jobs
+            for dep in deps:
+                if (tileset, dep) in self._running_jobs or (tileset, dep) in pending_jobs_nodeps:
+                    # it is! don't dispatch this item yet
+                    break
+            else:
+                # it isn't! all dependencies are finished
+                finished_jobs += self.dispatch(tileset, workitem)
+                self._running_jobs.append((tileset, workitem))
+                dispatched_jobs.append(pending_job)
+        
+        # make sure to at least get finished jobs, even if we don't
+        # submit any new ones...
+        if len(dispatched_jobs) == 0:
+            finished_jobs += self.dispatch(None, None)
+        
+        # clean out the appropriate lists
+        for job in finished_jobs:
+            self._running_jobs.remove(job)
+        for job in dispatched_jobs:
+            self._pending_jobs.remove(job)
+    
     def close(self):
         """Close the Dispatcher. This should be called when you are
         done with the dispatcher, to ensure that it cleans up any
@@ -72,9 +118,15 @@ class Dispatcher(object):
     
     def dispatch(self, tileset, workitem):
         """Dispatch the given work item. The end result of this call
-        should be running tileset.do_work(workitem) somewhere.
+        should be running tileset.do_work(workitem) somewhere. This
+        function should return a list of (tileset, workitem) tuples
+        that have completed since the last call. If tileset is None,
+        then returning completed jobs is all this function should do.
         """
-        tileset.do_work(workitem)
+        if not tileset is None:
+            tileset.do_work(workitem)
+            return [(tileset, workitem),]
+        return []
     
     def finish_work(self):
         """This call should block until all dispatched jobs have
@@ -172,7 +224,7 @@ class MultiprocessingDispatcherProcess(multiprocessing.Process):
                 
                 # do job
                 ret = self.tilesets[ti].do_work(workitem)
-                result = (ret,)
+                result = (ti, workitem, ret,)
                 self.result_queue.put(result, False)
             except Queue.Empty:
                 pass
@@ -186,6 +238,7 @@ class MultiprocessingDispatcher(Dispatcher):
         worker processes to spawn. If it's omitted (or negative)
         the number of available CPUs is used instead.
         """
+        super(MultiprocessingDispatcher, self).__init__()
         
         # automatic local_procs handling
         if local_procs < 0:
@@ -223,14 +276,20 @@ class MultiprocessingDispatcher(Dispatcher):
         self.manager.set_tilesets(tilesets)
     
     def dispatch(self, tileset, workitem):
+        # handle the no-new-work case
+        if tileset is None:
+            return self._handle_messages()
+        
         # create and submit the job
         tileset_index = self.manager.tilesets.index(tileset)
         self.job_queue.put((self.manager.tileset_version, tileset_index, workitem), False)
         self.outstanding_jobs += 1
         
         # make sure the queue doesn't fill up too much
+        finished_jobs = self._handle_messages()
         while self.outstanding_jobs > self.num_workers * 10:
-            self._handle_messages()
+            finished_jobs += self._handle_messages()
+        return finished_jobs
     
     def finish_work(self):
         # empty the queue
@@ -241,6 +300,7 @@ class MultiprocessingDispatcher(Dispatcher):
     def _handle_messages(self):
         # work function: takes results out of the result queue and
         # keeps track of how many outstanding jobs remain
+        finished_jobs = []
         timeout = 1.0
         try:
             while True: # exits in except block
@@ -250,12 +310,16 @@ class MultiprocessingDispatcher(Dispatcher):
                 
                 if result != None:
                     # completed job
+                    ti, workitem, ret = result
+                    finished_jobs.append((self.manager.tilesets[ti], workitem))
                     self.outstanding_jobs -= 1
                 else:
                     # new worker
                     self.num_workers += 1
         except Queue.Empty:
             pass
+        
+        return finished_jobs
     
     @classmethod
     def start_manual_process(cls, address, authkey):